A small form factor pluggable (SFP) module is a standard component for an opto-electronic transceiver design and is defined by various industry standards. One arrangement comprises a “quad” configuration (QSFP) for use with an array of four input optical fibers and four output optical fibers. The fibers are coupled to an opto-electronic transceiver assembly that includes a laser diode array for transmitting optical signals and a photodiode array for receiving optical signals. The optical fibers are generally disposed in a linear array configuration within a fiber “connector” housing, and the housing is attached to the opto-electronic transceiver assembly.
A multiple fiber push-on/pull-off (MPO) connector is generally known in the art as a conventional type of connector suitable for use with a QSFP module. MPO connectors relate to standards such as, for example, IEC-61754-7 and EIA/TIA 604-5 (FOCIS 5). In most cases, multimode fibers are used in these configurations, which are only able to support optical transmission over short distances.
There are increasing demands to utilize single mode optical fibers with QSFP modules, since single mode signals can be used to support transmission over longer distances (e.g., tens of kilometers) and/or at higher bit rates (e.g., (10 Gb/s and higher) than dispersive multimode fiber.